Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, March 27, 1994 TAG: 9403290129
SECTION: TRAVEL PAGE: F-8 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DAN KLINGLESMITH
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
If diamonds are a girl's best friend, then Amsterdam surely ranks as one of the friendliest places on Earth. Fascination with the sparklers goes back to the 16th century when conquest-minded Spanish invaded Antwerp and local gemologists fled to Amsterdam. Discovery of rich "ice" fields in Brazil and South Africa ignited the burgeoning trade and today, Amsterdam's fame as a world diamond center is well deserved.
Exploring one of the numerous gem-cutting houses mixes entertainment and education with shopping. Coster's Diamonds, located near the Rikjsmuseum, is a shining example. Tours run continuously and guests get close-up views of master cutters grinding and cleaving ugly little stones into glittering jewels. Along the way, knowledgeable guides recite the "four C's" buying theorem -value equals clarity plus color plus carat plus cut.
Pay close attention to their lesson, for tours end at a sales counter chock-full of eye-dazzling bracelets, rings and necklaces. In fact, hypnotizing may be more accurate. Only the most restrained shopper can sit down and caress the light-filled crystals, then leave without something gracing ears, neck, wrists or fingers.
Whether or not you've blown the budget on diamonds, check out the Dutch hand-painted ceramic known as delftware. The best known of this fine porcelain is Delft Blue, the Chinese-style earthenware from De Porceleyne Fles, located in the nearby city of Delft. Another popular type, Makkumware, with orange and yellow hues, hails from Makkum's Tichelaars factory. Both firms, founded in the 17th century, mark pieces with official stamps to signify their heritage and set them apart from knock-offs.
Although it's possible to take buying excursions to the factory workshops, many visitors simply head for Amsterdam's Muntplein and its medieval clocktower. At its base, find De Munt, a charming china closet stacked floor-to-ceiling with breathtaking pieces at heart-stopping prices. A three-inch diameter candy dish, decorated with a delicate floral design, can set you back a sweet $100, while complete tea sets simmer in the thousands.
To see pottery being made, hike up the Leidsestraat two blocks to the Prinsengallery. This quaint canal-side shop is run the old-fashioned way, by father and son, who design and hand-paint their own delftware-like beauties. It's a marvel seeing them dab paint on a dish or jewelry box with a surgeon's skill. Plus, because their work is not considered "genuine," though excellently crafted, wares go for prices that don't seem like house payments.
Think of Holland and you think of tulips. Supposedly, the first tulips made their way to Holland from Turkey in the 17th century. Their success was immediate and sparked "tulip mania." Fortunes blossomed and withered in bulb speculation, with Dutch patricians vying for ownership of the rarest specimens. In 1641, a single Semper Augustus bulb commanded a $5,000 price tag.
Tulips are still big business. Dutch florists cultivate hundreds of varieties - snow-white Diana, lacy-pink Fantasy and fragrant Bellona. A stroll along Singel Canal finds the floating flower market, located just off Muntplein. Merchants, operating from anchored barges, hawk loose bulbs and fresh-cut flowers. Visitors will want to look for the prepackaged sacks of bulbs certified for customs entry. A 1O-bulb packet costs less than $5, a small price for a perennial reminder of a delightful Amsterdam shopping spree.
If you're a gardener, muddy shoes are probably a familiar nuisance. Long ago, peasants of northern Europe faced the same sticky problem and wore clogs, wooden shoes that can be easily stepped in and out of when coming and going from the house. Today, they're seldom seen when walking around Amsterdam, but occasionally you'll spy a pile of them jumbled together on a stoop.
True, they make an offbeat fashion statement, but their real value is still utilitarian, perfect for tramping around the backyard flower or vegetable plot. Finding a pair is easy as most souvenir shops scattered around the city sport a small selection. However, serious shoppers venture to 't Klompenhuisje, a specialty store literally clogged with wooden shoes. From the unadorned and practical to fancy painted extravaganzas.
No doubt, while eating in Amsterdam, you'll notice that most meals, including breakfast, come with cheese. Edam and Gouda (pronounced how-dah) are the most popular varieties. Both have a light buttery flavor and make excellent gifts for folks back home.
While any number of local vendors offer samplers, a wise alternative is to save this purchase for Schiphol Airport's duty-free shops. Shopping at terminals, while hustling to catch a plane, has never been high on anyone's list, but the markets at Schiphol are a testament to Dutch efficiency. Van Gelder & Zoon, situated across from the main information desk, contains a formidable collection of the country's finest. Faster than you can say "Charge It," you can snatch a basketball-size, bright-red Edam and still have time to figure out where to pack the rascal.
Of course, the best part of shopping Amsterdam is the experience itself. It's the passer-by who stops to give directions while you fumble with your map. It's the patient sales clerk who smiles as you mangle the Dutch language, then replies shyly in fluent English. It's finding the perfect bargain - memories which, like diamonds, are forever, only they're free.
Dan Klinglesmith is a travel writer and photographer living in Denver, Colo.
by CNB